Feeling an NFL Draft: Alabama's Mount Cody Asserts Himself in Talented DT Class

In a season in which Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy have garnered the most accolades, Terrance "Mount" Cody has seen his draft stock slide into the mid-late first round.  On Saturday, he reminded America why he is considered such a rare blend of size and power, as the 6'4" 365 pounder burst threw the Tennessee offensive line for not one but two blocked field goals in the Crimson Tide's 12-10 win over the Volunteers.  Suh and McCoy are athletic marvels for the defensive tackle position, while Cody is more of a run stuffing defensive tackle in the Jamal Williams and Ted Washington mold.  While there are weight concerns, Cody showed in two plays how he can penetrate an offensive line and make his presence known.  You see, he did not block those kicks with a 40" vertical, he did it by collapsing the line and reducing the angle.  Cody's ability to play nose tackle and the proliferation of the 3-4 defense could ultimately result in him getting picked ahead of Suh or McCoy on draft day (definitely not ahead of both).  

Other thoughts from this past weekend:

—One game flying under the radar this past weekend was Pittsburgh vs. South Florida; featuring three of the nations top pass rushers in Greg Romeus (jr.), Jason Pierre-Paul (jr.), and George Selvie .  The game was a blowout as Bulls were pummeled by Pitt 41-14.  What was surprising was how little pressure Pierre-Paul and Selvie were able to put on the Panther quarterback after harassing Cincinnati's Tony Pike the week before.  For this day Romeus was the best defensive lineman on the field, and at 6'5" 270 lb he will likely find himself very attractive to the pro scouts when he decides to come out.

—Pitt QB Bill Stull looked extremely efficient tearing apart USF's vaunted pass defense for 18-25 with 245 years including 2 TDs and 1 INT.  He was hardly a prospect entering the season but he is starting to gain some notice with a 16 TD: 4 INT ratio for the season. 

—Pitt TE/WR Dorin Dickerson shows potential as a roster saving utility man in the Legedu Naanee sort of way.  He will be lucky to be a 7th rounder but he is built like a wide receiver but plays like a tight end and his versatility could earn him a roster spot. 

—Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin is only a sophomore but has tremendous upside and the rare size team's look for in a wide receiver at 6'5 225 lbs.  He still needs to refine his game but 6'5 guys average 20 yards per catch do not grow on trees.

—Iowa State MLB Jesse Smith is not going to wow anyone with his athleticism or size but he is a sideline to sideline tackling machine for the Cyclones and keyed the team's upset of Nebraska.  He'll never be a top prospect as he struggles to shed blockers and gets overpowered at times but high effort guys like Smith often earn jobs as 5th and 6th linebackers/special teamers. 

—Nebraska DT Ndamukong Sug, a Feeling a Draft favorite, tried his best to will Nebraska past Iowa State with a tremendous game including a blocked field goal.  Even his strong play was not enough to overcome 8 turnovers.  Keep an eye on teammate Jared Crick who has hidden in Suh's shadow this season but shows excellent potential.

—West Virginia RB Noel Devine did his best Jahvid Best and CJ Spiller impersonation in the team's win over UConn highlighted by his game winning 56 yard touchdown run.  Devine is not likely to leave this season, in part due to the plethora of undersized backs like Best and Spiller but he is an explosive talent who needs to find a way to add a little bulk to his 176 lb frame.  By the way kudos to the West Virginia fans with a tremendous show of class welcoming an emotionally drained UConn team.

—Mississippi RB/WR Dexter McCluster finally had a breakout game with 260 combined rushing and receiving yards in the Rebels 30-17 win over Arkansas.  At 5'8" 165 lbs McCluster will have a hard time finding a role, but the kid is a playmaker whose best role in the NFL will be as a slot receiver/returner.  He needs more games like this one if he wants to get his chance.

—Notre Dame WR Golden Tate : When teammate Michael Floyd broke his collar bone, opposing defenses have keyed on shutting down Tate yet he has managed to put up a whopping 28 catches for 489 yards and 5 touchdowns the past three weeks.  A former running back, Tate plays wide receiver with remarkable toughness and deceptive deep speed.  I doubt he will be a first rounder when he comes out, as he lacks first round measureables, but the more you watch him play the more he reminds you of Anquan Boldin.

—Minnesota WR Eric Decker : The injury plagued senior regular season ended this past weekend with a sprained foot.  Hopefully, the heart of the Golden Gophers gets a chance to play in a bowl game but if he does not expect to see him on Sundays next year as tough possession receivers are always in high demand.

What To Watch This Weekend:

#21 West Virginia @  South Florida (Friday) - Can the Bulls vaunted pass rushers redeem themselves in their third consecutive Big East test.

#22 South Carolina vs. Tennessee - Top prospects Eric Norwood and Eric Berry hope to lead their offensively challenged teams to victory.

#3 Texas @ #14 Oklahoma State - Last big test for the Longhorns but draftniks should view the game and ask is Colt McCoy that much better than Zac Robinson.  McCoy has excellent intangibles but if Robinson finds a way to win without Dez Bryant, Kendall Hunter and a porous defense the answer should be a resounding "No!".

#5 USC @ #10 Oregon - Taylor Mays and his vaunted USC defense has been shredded the past two weeks.  The Trojans are not likely to escape if it happens a third time.

Chris Maier is Senior Editor for nfldraft101.com .  He can be reached at [e-mail] .